Chicken makhani (Indian butter chicken)

Anything with butter in the name is good by me. Because tomatoes and heavy cream aren't enough, evidently. Butter (ghee, in fact) is also necessary in this indulgent, special dish that I've seen described as tomato gravy. I love that. Traditionally, it was made to use up leftover tandoor chicken. Um, best leftover idea ever.

A little part of me is sad to make it at home, because I so love the treat of ordering the real deal from my favorite Indian restaurants. But who am I kidding? I've never been one to 'love and let lie.' So I wanted to work on cracking the at-home code for 1) my regular cravings, and 2) making my entire house smell like heaven.

Now that I've invested in a few spices and pantry items, this dish actually doesn't require too much planning ahead (which is my only issue with so many Asian recipes—the ingredients list—they are the reason they're so delicious but also the reason they're expensive and intensive to make). Except perhaps the plan to order real naan bread because truly nothing beats that.

I've had fun to making this dish and tweaking the sauce slightly each time—you could do the same for your own tastes. This recipe yields a large amount, and luckily it tastes even better as leftovers. I imagine it will really hit the spot when the weather turns cooler (I've heard it's already in the air at home—I'm currently living my best (and warmest) life on our honeymoon out west! Onto Joshua Tree next).

At least a couple hours before you’d like to eat (or overnight), sprinkle chicken with 1½ tsp salt and some black pepper. Place in a large Ziplock bag or container. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, 2 cloves garlic (grated), and ½ T ginger paste. Pour mixture over chicken and spread to coat. Place in fridge until ready to cook.

Melt 2 T ghee in a high sided large pan over medium to medium-low heat. Add onions, and season with a heavy pinch of salt, and cook for about 5-7 minutes until soft. Add in remaining 5 cloves of grated garlic, followed by 1 T ginger paste, garam masala, chili powder, and ground coriander. Stir to prevent burning for a minute or two. Then add in tomatoes, honey, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and another 1½ tsp of salt, and stir to incorporate everything. Cook, simmering, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (FYI: This is also the point I start cooking my rice according to the package directions).

Meanwhile, in a separate large saute pan, heat 2 T or so of oil over medium heat. Add in chicken and cook, turning, until mostly cooked through. Set aside briefly.

Turn off the heat on the tomato mixture, and remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Add remaining 3 T of clarified butter and heavy cream to it. Then use an immersion blender (or regular blender) to blend until mostly smooth. Add chicken to tomato mixture, and turn heat back onto medium. Cover pan with lid and simmer until chicken is cooked through (about 8-10 minutes). Taste for seasoning, and add more salt as necessary. Serve with rice and a sprinkling of cilantro over top, along with some warm naan on the side.